


Through Another's Eyes

by v0yag3r



Category: Glee
Genre: Angst, Emotional Infidelity, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-21
Updated: 2014-09-03
Packaged: 2018-02-14 02:30:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2174772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/v0yag3r/pseuds/v0yag3r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a brief conversation with Tina, Kurt notices the subtle yet all-too-obvious signs of a blossoming love. AU. Established Klaine. Blam endgame. Kurt's POV. Rated M For language and mentions of sex.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I've written this mostly to give myself peace of mind. I've had a love/hate relationship with Kurt since season one of Glee and wholeheartedly believe that the characters of Kurt and Blaine are absolutely terrible for each other. They often fail to take each other's feelings, hopes, and dreams into consideration and, in my opinion, don't help each other grow as boyfriends, fiances, or human beings after season two. That being said, while I do respect that the very talented writers of the show (while, in my opinion, show favor to Blam throughout seasons four and five) will most-likely have Klaine end up together in some capacity, I will ship Blam to the bitter end. Anyway, I digress - As I mentioned, I write this because, in my own personal head-canon, I do thoroughly believe that Kurt is wise and mature enough to realize that love is a beautiful, complicated matter that is often different for each individual, and that his teenage love for Blaine isn't healthy enough to survive into adulthood. Please forgive my droning and enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I own neither Glee nor the characters.

"Tay-Tay Cohen-Chang." Kurt read aloud as he looked at Tina's contact name and picture on Blaine's iPhone. She'd called him three times in the last fifteen minutes, and the repeated vibrating of the phone on the wooden coffee table was distracting Kurt from the episode of Golden Girls that he was unsuccessfully trying to enjoy. Blaine was on the other side of the loft with Rachel. He was helping her transcribe and transpose "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables for one of her classes and had left his phone on the coffee table. He often did things like this - leave his iPhone unlocked and on the table, leave his laptop open with the browser displaying his Facebook page - and Kurt knew that Blaine did these things to appease him, though he'd sworn endlessly to Blaine that the terrible Eli C. incident was behind them in all ways.

Sighing, Kurt decided that he'd put Blaine's beloved hag out of her misery. "Good evening, Tina." He said as he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Blainey-Da - uh, Kurt?" Tina's tone changed from enthusiastic to confused.

"The one and only." He responded. "How're you doing?"

"I'm well!" Tina was practically shouting and the enthusiastic tone quickly returned to her voice. "I have some news, but I don't wanna post it on Facebook yet. Sam totally isn't answering his phone and Blaine apparently isn't available, either. How's Blam? Are they okay?"

_Blam_. Kurt always felt the slightest tinge of jealously when he heard or saw the moniker. Blaine, Sam, Tina, Artie, Sugar, Joe, and the younger members of the New Directions let the name slip freely in conversations and over Facebook posts. He'd even seen it mentioned in a Facebook message from Trent, a Warbler and one of Blaine's friends from Dalton. "Yeah. Sam had a really big photo shoot this afternoon and probably won't be done until after midnight, and Blaine's helping Rachel with some homework right now." Kurt responded.

"Damn." Tina muttered. "I can't hold this in anymore. I told my parents, but they don't really count 'cause they're my parents, ya know? I guess you'll have to do. Guess what?"

"You found a new masculine gay man to prey on?" Kurt was not amused. _I guess you'll have to do_.

"That was a PHASE." The young Asian said with assertiveness to spare. "As much as I'm sure you'd like for that to be the case, my news is pretty much the opposite of that!"

_Oh God_. Kurt hoped she wouldn't announce what he thought she was about to.

"I'm going to NYU starting next semester! I got a pretty decent scholarship!" Tina stated happily.

_Why did I have to be right?_ Kurt wasn't pleased that he'd have to share Blaine with Tina. He'd already reconciled himself with the fact that Blaine wanted to and did spend as much time with Sam as with him. The thought of throwing Tina into the mix was frustrating him to the point of anger, so he just offered his congratulations in the happiest voice he could muster.

"Please don't tell Blam." She implored. "They're my two best friends and the only people from high school that I regularly keep in touch with - well, other than Santana; you know she and I love to kill each other with gossip - so I'd really like to tell them myself."

_Blam_. "Of course." Kurt sighed. "I'll tell Blaine to call you as soon as he's done helping Rachel."

"Awesome!" Tina exclaimed. "Blatina and Blamtina are back in business! Have a good night, Kurt."

The call ended and Kurt noticed a text message alert pop up on the now locked screen shortly after he set the phone back down on the table. He eyed the message preview as more popped up.

**(11:03pm) Dude, I love you.**

**(11:03pm) I managed to book another photo shoot! One of the photographers on this shoot was super-duper impressed with me and said he would pass my name along to some of his friends. I'm so glad you convinced me not to brush this one off.**

**(11:05pm) I'm totally buying you something pretty this weekend. ;)**

Kurt chuckled to himself as he went back to watching Golden Girls. He was glad Sam was doing something to further himself in his career and not just hogging the TV all day.

Closer to midnight, Blaine plopped down on the sofa next to Kurt and grabbed his phone. A small smile graced his face as he read the messages from Sam. "I'm gonna go home, Kurt. I'm really tired and still have homework of my own to do." Blaine explained as he pocketed his phone and grabbed his coat.

"This late? You should've said something to Rachel. She'll have to realize, at some point, that she's not the center of the universe." Kurt chastised.

Blaine let out an airy laugh as he walked over to Kurt. "Just between you and me - She might be able to sing and sight-read like a pro, but she can barely transpose and transcribe." He whispered. "Good night, Sweetie." He said softly as he gave Kurt a quick peck and started for the door.

"Night." Kurt said with a soft, audible smile. The young man with skin like ivory switched off the TV and started turning the lights in the loft off. He walked over to the huge door to lock it and heard a voice in the hall, so he looked through the peephole.

"Hello, handsome," He heard Blaine's voice say. Blaine was leaning against the wall and his phone was pressed to his cheek. He was smiling as he stared off in the distance.

Kurt surmised that he was talking to Sam and knew better than to get angry or jealous at comments like these. He'd been forced to accept this aspect of Sam and Blaine's relationship. They often complimented each other and were very, very tactile. They even occasionally shared a bed "just because."

"I saw! Congratulations! I'm happy for you."

Pause.

"No. That pea coat that I wanted is way too expensive. I'm going to murder you if you buy it for me."

Pause.

"Then Nightbird will murder Blonde Chameleon if he buys it for him."

Audible laughter.

"You're right. I'd miss you way too much, and everyone knows that Nightbird can't exist without Blonde Chameleon."

A longer pause, then a sigh.

"Sam, my parents told me to give you that money because they love you and they know I don't want to be here without you. They don't want you to pay them back, and you don't owe me anything."

Kurt saw Blaine shift and slump down on the ground.

"Really, Sammy. We'll talk about this when I'm home. I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

Pause.

"You're the best! I'm seriously starving! I could definitely go for some caffeine, too. I have some choreography that I need to learn for Miss July before tomorrow afternoon."

Blaine rose to his feet and began walking down the hallway.

"Love you too. See you in a bit."

Even though Kurt knew better than to let any feelings of jealousy get to him, he couldn't help that, sometimes, they managed to snake their way up his spine and hiss in his ear.

\---

A/N 2: This is un-beta'd, so please forgive any spelling and/or grammatical errors. If you notice any, please do feel free to advise me of them so they can be corrected. I have the rest written, but am currently expanding on it. It'll be another one or two short chapters and an epilogue, depending on how things play out in my head. Comments/criticism are most welcome. Thank you for reading and I hope you'll look forward to more.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Because I just didn't feel compelled enough to write a break-up scene between Sam and Mercedes, let's just assume that the two had an amicable break-up shortly after they started their relationship.

Kurt, Blaine, Sam, Mercedes, Artie, and Rachel had just enjoyed one of their weekly "family dinners" at the loft.

Rachel had long since declared that she needed her beauty sleep and retired to her area of the apartment to begin her annoyingly-long nighttime ritual. Artie left shortly after, claiming he needed to finish some homework. Kurt, Blaine, Sam, and Mercedes were in the living room talking and enjoying a few mixed drinks. Sam was fortunate enough to have a few older friends from the modeling agency who would buy him alcohol on request.

The group was currently discussing Sam's budding career. He'd managed to book quite a few shoots for the next few weeks, and they were all very happy for him.

"Oooookay guys," Mercedes interrupted. "It's time for this Diva to turn in for the evening. I have a meeting with my producer in the morning, and he wants an update on how the move to New York is helping my album." She and Sam both stood up, but she gestured for him to sit again. "Don't worry, Sam. I can make it home by myself, and it looks like you still have enough rum left in that bottle of Captain Morgan for another drink or two. Enjoy yourself, you deserve it." She appreciated that even though their relationship hadn't worked out, he was always such an amazing friend and a true gentleman.

Sam had a giant, goofy grin plastered on his face as she walked over to him and placed a kiss on his forehead. Mercedes grabbed her coat, said goodnight to Kurt and Blaine, and walked out the door. Sam drank what was left in his glass in one gulp and walked over to the kitchen. "Might as well," he rationalized as he made himself another rum and coke.

\---

"Dude, I swear," Sam shouted, loose from the alcohol. "If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be back at home, playing video games all day and getting all chubby and smelly."

"Awwww, Sam," Blaine began," I know you would've figured things out eventually. Besides, wasn't it Britt who suggested that you look into modeling in the first place?"

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, right before she dumped me, THROUGH TEXT, in front of my face, and in front of the whole Glee club. God, I felt so... sooo..."

"Emasculated?" Kurt asked with a slight chuckle.

"What? Kurt, how does that have anything to do with this situation? Blonde Chameleon wears no mask. His identity is public knowledge." Sam looked slightly annoyed at what he assumed to be an attempt to get off subject. "What I wanted to say is that I've never felt so... not... manly."

Blaine and Kurt gave each other a side-glance and smiled.

"Well, don't worry, buddy. There may have been a few road-blocks along the way, but I think you're doing a fantastic job of recovering from them and moving on with your life." Blaine said gently as he walked over to Sam and placed a hand on his shoulder.

The blonde stood up, a big smile forming on his equally big mouth. "Come on, Dude. Hug it out!"

"Ooph!" There was an audible sound of air being forcefully expelled from Blaine's lungs as Sam held him tightly against his chest. "Sam, you're... about to... suffocate me." The boy with the gelled hair managed to say.

"Oh, damn. Sorry, dude." Sam released Blaine and the two laughed.

And it was at that moment, when he saw the look, heard the compassion, felt the energy, that Kurt Hummel knew. He debated this with himself the other night after speaking with Tina after unsuccessfully trying to push the thought from his mind, but now he was certain that it was for sure - Blaine was in love with Sam, and Sam, perhaps unbeknownst to even himself, was also in love with Blaine. Kurt wasn't sure if he was hurt, horrified, or both. Quite honestly, he didn't know what would be most appropriate to feel. The adrenaline rush he was currently experiencing from the new-found knowledge was slowing down time and filling his ears with a deafening roar. Maybe it was his mind screaming in shock? He glanced back and forth between the two - the shimmer in their pupils while they held eye contact was both endearing and vomit-inducing. The electricity filling the air was unmistakable.

 _"When did this happen?"_ He thought to himself, the expression on his face now blank. _"When did... When did I?"_

"Kurt, you okay?" Blaine asked as he placed a hand on his fiance's shoulder.

 _"When did I... lose him?"_ Kurt glanced at Blaine, then Sam. The blonde was on the other side of the room, putting his coat on. "Oh, I'm fine! I just realized that I need to finish an essay on Leonard Bernstein before tomorrow afternoon, and I haven't even started." The brunette placed his hand on his forehead and faked a giggle. "Not sure how I let it slip my mind."

"Oh, gosh. I'm sorry. We must've been distracting you, Sweetie. We're gonna head home, anyway. Sam has a photo-shoot tomorrow and I'm gonna see about maybe styling his hair differently," Blaine explained as he walked over to the blonde and gently ruffled his locks.

"Yeah. Even if I'm just gonna be wearing man-thongs, I figured it would be a good idea to keep up my boy-next-door image." Sam explained. "Oh, and I'll try to get you some free samples, dude." He winked at Kurt, gave him a quick hug, and walked out the door.

Blaine threw on his coat and gave Kurt a quick peck on the cheek. He wished him a good night as he walked to the door of the apartment.

"Blaine!" Kurt called before his lover could step out. It was probably too loud, and definitely a bit too desperate.

"Hmm?" Blaine raised an eyebrow and gave him a curious glance.

"I love you." Kurt said almost breathlessly.

Blaine smiled. "You too, sweetheart."

The door closed and Kurt's heart broke. He stared blankly for a moment, then walked over to a nearby window. Blaine was latched onto Sam's arm and the two were walking away, laughing at something. Anyone walking by could've easily mistaken them for a happy couple. Kurt eyed the bottle of Captain Morgan and noticed there was still a decent amount of rum left at the bottom. He opened it and threw back the alcohol, then tossed the bottle away, hopefully near the trashcan. After releasing an uncharacteristic belch, he walked over to the couch and hurled himself onto it.

 _"How's Blam?"_ Tina's voice asked in his head.

 _Blam_. Kurt couldn't really contain his jealousy anymore, but wondered if it was truly unwarranted. Lately, he found himself wishing he had a "Sam" of his own. Rachel was a great friend, but even gay males wanted other male friends to do "male" things with. He knew so much envy whenever he saw Sam and Blaine playing video games, watching nerdy movies, hollering at some football game, or reading fanfiction together. Maybe he just missed the way Finn would call him "Little Brother."

Then there was the whole parental matter. Burt and Carol loved Blaine, but they always seemed to have their guard up around him. There was always that silent _what if_ that he saw in their eyes when they were all together and that he heard in their tones when they asked "How's Blaine?"  _  
_

 _"How's Blam?"_   Tears formed in Kurt's eyes. _  
_

Blaine's parents, kind as they were, didn't have the love for Kurt that they did for Sam. Seeing them was a rare enough occassion for everyone, even Blaine, but that didn't do much to quell the sting of hurt Kurt felt last Christmas when, after Mr. and Mrs. Anderson gave him a warm smile and courteous handshake, they each enveloped Sam in a tight, heart-warming hug.

_People who claim that they don't care about acceptance are such liars._

Kurt never claimed to be oblivious of that immeasurably-awkward period of time after Blaine had cheated and before they'd reconciled. He'd sought comfort in the city, in his job and studies, and in Adam, but Blaine had completely withdrawn. He knew all too well that the young man became introverted almost overnight - Tina spared him no details in a heated Facebook message. It was around that time when Kurt noticed that Blam started popping up on all of the social media platforms that he used. #Blam appeared tagged in pictures on Instagram - pictures of Blaine, Sam, and several other students at McKinley posing while dressed in the most ridiculous costumes. And then there was that picture of Sam and Blaine - sun-burnt, hair a mess, and curled up together on Blaine's bed. Cooper posted it on Facebook - _Enjoying a couple of drinks at home with Mom and Dad after a long day at the theme park. Blainey and Sammy fell asleep as soon we got home. Kids. - with **Blaine Anderson** and **Sam Evans**._ It appeared in an album along with several pictures of Sam, Blaine, and the Andersons at the local theme park. Kurt remembered chuckling to himself and having to refrain from clicking "Like" after seeing a picture of Blaine crawling out of a giant pool with the most indignant expression while Sam pointed at him and Cooper and Mr. and Mrs. Anderson all held two thumbs up -- the four had huge smiles plastered on their faces. _Of course my dear brother screamed "My hair!!!" before being tossed into the wave pool by Sammy. - with **Blaine Anderson** and **Sam**_ **Evans.** Kurt just couldn't bring himself to like that picture. It had been too soon after the break-up.

 _Jealousy is such an ugly thing._ Kurt hated "ugly" and spent a great deal of time trying to distance himself from it. Ugly clothes, ugly music, ugly personalities. These were all things that Kurt Hummel could only deign to tolerate when necessary. The young man pounded his fist on the pillow that his face was buried in as he cried. _"Ugly,"_ he thought.

\---

After allotting himself another hour or so of crying and rage and _ugly_ , Kurt hauled himself off of the sofa, picked up his phone and trudged over to his room. It was well after 1am and the thoughts rushing through his mind probably wouldn't let him sleep any time soon. Glancing out of his window at the city lights, Kurt knew that things could no longer be the same. Loving someone and being _in love_ with someone were two entirely different circumstances, and the matter weighed greatly on him. He loved Blaine, without a doubt. And Blaine loved him. It was the matter of whether or not they were still _in_ love that was in question. There seemed to still exist a physical attraction, at least. They'd shared at least two heated nights together last week and the morning after one of those nights had been equally-hot, but relationships didn't often work with sexual chemistry alone. Mutual interests and goals helped strengthen love, and the truth was that they had little in common, aside from being gay. The two had kindled a friendship on the basis of helping Kurt conquer his fears and to give him courage to face David Karofsky, and in that, their friendship was an amazing one. Unfortunately, that seemed to be all that their romantic relationship had initially stemmed off of, as well. Kurt just couldn't deny that he enjoyed the personal growth he'd experienced while being single last year, and had to admit that he had no idea Blaine was such a _nerd_ , for lack of a better word, until pictures and stories of Blam's nerdy conquests started popping up on Facebook. How could he not have known that this was such a huge part of Blaine's personality until then? _Funny._

Kurt thought back to the rough patch in his relationship with Blaine a couple of months ago, before Blaine and Sam had moved out of the loft. Blaine had completely encroached on what little was left of his personal space and had managed to get himself enrolled in six of Kurt's eight classes, as well as convince Carmen Tibideaux to grant him a spot in a masterclass for sophomores and upperclassmen, despite being only a freshman.

Something that the Instructor said while teaching his methods of pantomime struck Kurt:

_**"We are walking down the street, without a worry and care in the world, and suddenly we begin to notice that we are walking in place, but we are not going anywhere."** _

Though the instructor said this in reference to miming, Kurt couldn't help but notice that it was such a weird coincidence that it applied perfectly to his relationship with Blaine at that point and, he thought, perhaps even now.

Kurt Hummel was not one to live such a life, nor would he be satisfied with letting someone he loved live as such. Blaine, in his endless desire to please Kurt, would never admit being in love with Sam. Kurt had tried prodding him about it during that rough patch of their relationship and that just seemed to cause more of a fight. To get to the heart of the matter - to reveal the truth for the benefit of all parties involved - he'd need to have a serious discussion with Sam.

After all, who was Kurt Hummel to stand in the way of true love?

\--

A/N2: That scene from "New New York" with Blaine and Kurt attending the masterclass on pantomime really spoke to me. That quote was, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful lines in the series.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this chapter - there was a lot that I wanted to say and I felt that it could only be said here, before I get to the meat of the story, so I do apologize if it seems a bit out-of-sorts. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will look forward to more. Comments are most welcome and appreciated.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm humbled by and grateful for the reviews/comments that this fic has received on both sites that I've posted it to. Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement. To the anonymous/guest readers that I'm not able to contact personally - Thank you!

"Blaaaaiiine? BLAINE! Today's shoot SUCKED. I need cuddles!" Sam whined as he burst through the door into Kurt and Rachel's apartment. The blonde looked around and sighed as he concluded that the apartment was empty. He began retreating for the door when he saw the curtain from Kurt's "room" open.

"Sam? Blaine isn't here to share his cuddles with you," Kurt teased.

"Oh. Hey, Kurt," the blonde began. "Sorry for barging in. Blaine wasn't at our place, so I thought he might be here."

Kurt stared at Sam for a moment. God damnit, he was handsome. Fucking perfect. His face was beyond beautiful in the most masculine way. His skin was flawless. He had a body to kill for and an ass that Kurt himself would just LOVE to grab a handful of while writhing underneath him - but it's not as if Kurt Elizabeth Hummel ever  _dared_  to imagine such steamy scenarios. After last night's meltdown, he'd realized that Blaine was in love with Sam not because he was devastatingly good-looking - although that was mostly likely a contributing factor - but because he had a heart of gold. There just weren't many men in the world as sweet and considerate as Sam Evans.

Sam met Kurt's gaze and gave him a quizzical look. "You okay, dude? You're not looking so good and, uh, it's like one o'clock. Did you go to class today?" He asked while pulling out his phone and glancing at the time.

The blonde was right. Kurt was still in his pajamas, his hair was a mess, and his face was red and puffy.

"Need anything? I have a few ibuprofen if you have a headache," Sam mused as he reached into his coat pocket, pulled out two round, pink pills and eyed them. "Ummm.. Oh! Well, I guess I only have Gas-X right now. Do you have gas?"

_A heart of gold, and only slightly dumb._

"Oh, yeah. Rough night, I guess. I decided this morning that I needed a mental health day," Kurt declared while smoothing out his unruly hair. Mental health day, indeed - he'd watched  _Beaches_  three times in a row and ate six blueberry waffles drowned in butter and syrup for breakfast. The  _shame_  of it all. "Actually, Sam, I'd to talk to you for a bit, if that's okay." He tried to say in the most even and un-bothered inflection that he could manage.

The blonde's eyes suddenly went wide and he had an absolutely mortified expression on his face. "Oh, God. Please don't tell me I was out-of-control drunk last night. I mean, I know I was kinda loud, but not  _that_  drunk! Do I need to start apologizing?"

Kurt chuckled. "No, Sam. If you'd done anything, the incident would already be on YouTube with thousands of views. Like that disaster when you botched your surprise-jump out of the huge pop-out-cake that Mr. and Mrs. Anderson had specially-made for you and Blaine's graduation party, and somehow ended up breaking Unique's left arm and two of her ribs."

Sam winced as he recalled the incident. "Unique will live, baby! Unique is STRONG!" He gave his best impression of the diva as she screamed while being loaded into an ambulance after the fiasco.

Artie had managed to capture the whole scene and quickly uploaded the video to YouTube - "Crazy White Boy Accidentally Mauls Transgendered Friend." Last time anyone checked, it had at least three-hundred thousand views.

"I want to talk to you about Blaine." Kurt clarified.

"Is he okay? Did something happen?" Sam asked with concern as he squared his shoulders and straightened his posture. "He hasn't answered his phone all afternoon. I know he had a Dance exam and Music Theory exam this morning, but he should've been done like an hour and a half ago."

_Love._ "He's fine." Kurt said, but he didn't  _really_  know - He hadn't spoken to Blaine since he left with Sam last night, and he didn't respond to the text he had received from him:

**(12:53am) We made it home without getting mugged! G'night.**

"Have a seat, Sam." Kurt gestured to the sofa as he stared at his friend.  _Time to rip off the metaphorical bandage._  "You know how Blaine always talks about soul mates?" He asked.

Sam nodded.

"I'm not much for the concept," Kurt explained. "One doesn't just meet someone and fall in love. Love grows and develops."

Sam scrunched his face in confusion and looked at Kurt through the corners of his eyes. "Uhhh, why are you telling me this, dude? Oh my God! Did you guys break up or something? Is that why he's not answering? Is that why you look...?" He just waved his hand at Kurt instead of finishing the question.

"No. Well, not yet. We're not broken up yet." Kurt said while staring at Sam, unblinking. While many would find it appropriate to feel at least a slight bit of anger at this situation, he knew that showing any signs of it would only detract him from finding answer he sought.

Sam shuffled his feet and grew increasingly uncomfortable. "What's going on, Kurt? I didn't even know anything was wrong. Blaine hasn't mentioned that you two were having problems."

 _Of course._ "That's probably because we're not having any problems right now."

"Then what-"

"About this "soul mate" business." Kurt interrupted. "Like I was saying - I don't believe that one day, out of nowhere, you just randomly meet the person that you're destined to spend the rest of your life, that you've spent all past lives with. I mean, REALLY, where is the romance in that?"

"Kurt, what're you-"

"Isn't it just so much more beautiful to see true love grow between two people? From that awkward first meeting, maybe a friendship, and then that shy first touch?"

"Yeah. I guess that makes it seem more real." Sam said.

"Exactly. Real and true and strong." Kurt paused. "Like your love for Blaine."

Sam looked only at his own feet. Kurt thought he looked sort of like a lost puppy.

"I know you love him, Sam."

"Of course I love him. He's my best friend." Sam finally met Kurt's gaze, but just chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Does this have anything to do with the fact that I made him sleep in my bed for like three nights after the season finale of The Walking Dead? Dude, I'm sorry! I was an emotional wreck and just needed cuddles, and we all know there's no way Mercedes would let me sleep in her bed!"

"Oh, Sam. I sure wish it was just that. You know I've never been jealous of your cuddly relationship."  _Blatant lie._ "I just never thought it would lead to  _this_." Kurt explained as he gestured to Sam with a questioning look.

"Dude, what're you talking about? What is 'this?'" Sam asked while making air quotes with his hands.

_Breaking point? Reached._

"Sam." Kurt said with a far more serious tone. "Please stop. I know you're not stupid, so stop  _playing_  stupid."

"Kurt, I-" Sam whispered.

Kurt looked into Sam's eyes and saw the most sincere sort of hope in them. They were shining, as though tears were threatening to fall, but Sam just blinked them away rapidly.

"The day that I got my hair cut and booked my first job, I called my Mom and told her that Blaine pretty much dragged me off of the couch and got my ass in gear. She said 'I'm glad you have him,' and I just said 'Yeah, me too.' That's when things started to get funny." Sam explained. "The next morning, after I got home from the gym, I opened our medicine cabinet to grab my toothpaste and noticed that Blaine was running low on hair gel. He was having a busy week and I didn't want him to run out and totally freak out, so I went to go buy him some. I couldn't find the Coverboy brand that he likes - I had to go to, like, three stores before I finally found it. I ran into Santana while I was waiting in line at the convenience  store where I found it and just casually told her about how many stores I had been to. She gave me this weird look and asked, 'Lawn Gnome sent you on an epic journey for gel? Why didn't he just tell you where he normally buys it?' I told her that he didn't ask and I just wanted to buy it for him before he ran out. She said 'Fuck! I owe that bitch Tina fifty bucks,' and started walking off. I tried asking her what she was talking about and she said, 'Friends don't do shit like that for each other, Trouty. You two are totally getting married.'" Sam sighed and tried to catch his breath. "I guess that's when I realized that I felt something for him - something different from before. That's when... THIS... happened." Sam explained while waving his hands.

Kurt wanted to say something, but words seemed to be failing. Sam looked like he wasn't done, besides.

"It's like you said - It wasn't something sudden, and I freaked out. My brain was screaming, 'Heart! stop falling in love with your MALE best friend,' and my heart was like 'Brain, why are you trying to stop something that feels so good and seems so natural? We've never been this happy before!' And I'm just there, listening to this internal conflict thinking, 'Yeah, it's true. We're happy. Even if things stay like this forever, we're happy.'" Sam paused. "My Mom and Dad know about this, you know?"

Kurt tilted his head and looked at Sam, as if asking for him to continue.

"I called my Dad because I was so scared - I thought I was gonna burn in hell for feeling this way. My Dad was worried because I was crying and couldn't really talk. He put my Mom on the phone and she asked what was wrong. I tried to relax and breathe, but pretty much all I could say was 'Buh-Bl,' and she knew right away. She said his name - Blaine - and I finally calmed down enough to say 'yeah.' She asked if anything happened to him, and I told her that he was fine." Sam paused. "I didn't really need to say anything else after that. She just kinda laughed and told me, 'Sweetie, I don't believe in a God that would give people free will, and then cast them into an eternal lake of fire for letting them use that free will - especially when it comes to loving someone. God IS love. If you're lucky enough to experience true love, you should know that it's a gift from Him - no matter who you feel it for.' She put my Dad back on the phone and he told me that they both thought for some time that I was in love with Blaine and that they were okay with it, but that I should still respect that you two are engaged, which I totally agreed with."

The two boys stared at each other for several minutes. "Thank you for respecting that, Sam. And thank you so much for sharing that story with me. That was really beautiful." Kurt admitted. Even though he didn't believe in God, the words of Sam's parents truly warmed his heart. "Blaine loves you too, you know? He adores you."

Adore. Sam loved that word because it so perfectly described what he felt for Blaine. He adored the way Blaine would clear his schedule for him at a moment's notice. He adored the endearing way Blaine would call him "Sammy," especially after he had too much to drink. He adored watching the way Blaine's face would scrunch up in absolute concentration while he so meticulously gelled his hair, even though Sam preferred him without it. He adored the way Blaine captivated his audience on whatever stage he performed. He adored the way Blaine finished his sentences for him and always seemed to know what he was thinking. There was no way Blaine was in as deep as Sam.

"He may have had a tiny crush on me, Kurt, but he loves you." Sam explained. "That's why he wants to marry you."

"I see the way he looks at you," Kurt said, and he couldn't help that there was just the slightest amount of bitterness in his tone. "He hangs off of every word you say and every gesture you make."

"Kurt, why are you telling me this? I already told you that I respect that you two are engaged. I'm not trying to ruin that for either of you."

The brunette sighed and leaned back against the sofa, eyeing Sam. "I had a huge meltdown after you guys left last night. It was ugly. Like, throw-shit-across-the-room, cry-so-hard-that-snot-comes-out-of-your-nose ugly. I got to thinking. Blaine has spent years trying to make me happy and do everything I want, but with you, it's effortless. At first, when I saw you two hanging out, I thought, 'Why is he acting like that? This isn't him.'" He paused. "That's when it hit me - It  _was_  him. It was him letting his guard down and being himself. It's me that doesn't fit in the equation."

"But the fact that he goes out of his way to please you means he loves you." Sam rationalized as he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, but ignored it.

"There's a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone." Kurt explained. "I know Blaine loves me, and I love him - I just don't think we're in love anymore. I've realized that while talking to you, Sam. Everything you told me today made me realize that."

Sam shifted in his seat and looked out the window. "Do you hate me for falling in love with your fiance?" He asked in a whispered tone.

Kurt cleared his throat and stood up, walking to the window. "I wouldn't say that." He said. "I'm certainly not happy, but this isn't your fault, nor is it Blaine's. And it's not like I'm not giving you a free pass to court Blaine. We're still engaged."

Sam's face dropped. Of course Kurt wasn't going to end his engagement so easily.

"... but, I want him to be happy," Kurt said. "And I want to be happy, too. Everyone deserves to be happy. If being apart would help us achieve that, why stay together? I certainly don't want to be with someone who completely changes himself to make our relationship work. Can't I make someone feel the way you make each other feel?"

Sam desperately tried to ignore his phone - it was vibrating again. It was getting distracting and he already couldn't figure ot whether or not Kurt wanted him to answer that question. "Love takes time." Was all he said.

_Love takes time._  They were all so young - Too young to be dealing with situations like this, it seemed. Wasn't it just a few years ago that Sam stood up to Karofsky on Kurt's behalf?

"Don't tell him about this, please. I'm going to talk to him later. I just want what's best for all of us." Kurt announced. Then, turning to Sam and giving him a knowing look, he said. "You should probably answer your phone; it's been vibrating for a while now."

Sam stood and smoothed out his jeans. "I guess I'm gonna go, then." He said, and gave Kurt a hug.

Kurt didn't return it, at first. He couldn't figure out if it was an "i'm sorry" hug or a "thank you" hug, but when he felt a tear drop on his shoulder, he couldn't help but feel for his friend. after a quick pat on the back and a goodbye, he stepped away and opened the door for Sam.

"Thank you, Kurt." Sam said, but wasn't sure if that was appropriate, so he just walked out the door before Kurt could reply. He plucked his phone from his pocket once he heard the door close and plopped down on the floor in the hallway, resting head against the wall. Three missed calls and a text, all from Blaine.

**(1:26pm) Hey, Sweet Cheeks! Sorry I didn't answer. I left my phone in the dance studio and didn't notice until I was already half way home. Wanna meet me for lunch?**

Smiling, he tapped Blaine's name on his recent call last and held the phone to his ear.

"Hey. Sorry I didn't answer. I was... taking a nap."

Pause.

"Yeah, I'm starving. Are you still on campus? I can meet you there, if you want."

A longer pause, then, with slight hesitation:

"... I love you too. See you soon."

Kurt closed his eyes and sighed as he heard Sam's footsteps grow farther away. He looked at his phone for a few moments before composing a quick text to Blaine.

 **(1:35pm) Come over for dinner tonight around 8? Rachel has a late rehearsal**.

A reply came a couple of minutes later.

**(1:37pm) I'll bring a cheesecake for dessert! See you then. :)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the delay with this chapter. I had absolutely no Muse to inspire me. I've never had an "amicable" break-up myself -- My past break-ups may or may not have involved attempted arson, attempted vehicular man-slaughter, or one party leaving town without telling the other; therefore, I re-wrote this chapter several times until I felt it was presentable.

"45 minutes? Okay, thanks." Kurt hung up his phone and went to light a scented candle, hoping to cover up the strong stench of his burned-to-hell lasagna.

 _Oh well._ Thai food sounded much more appetizing, anyway.

Kurt had been so distracted trying to find an outfit that didn't make him look like he was about to attend a funeral that he didn't realize his lasagna had baked to a crispy black perfection. It wasn't until that smell - it was like a mini-crematorium - came wafting through his curtains that he abandoned the three all-black outfits that were laid-out on his bed and ran to the kitchen. After grabbing a mit and opening the oven, he snatched the black-as-tar dish and kicked the oven door shut. He gave the charred lasagna a few pokes with a spatula and determined that it was a total loss. The brunette decided that he didn't want the smell of the ruined dish to penetrate the loft any longer, so he walked to the balcony and hurled it out of the window.

 _"It's like my life,"_ he thought, and hoped no one was walking through the alley.

It was now 7:45pm and the scent of crematorium was mostly-replaced by warm cinnamon. With fifteen minutes until Blaine arrived and twenty-five until their Thai food was supposed to be delivered, Kurt was once again trying to find an outfit for dinner. Silly as it might be, he decided to stick with one of the all-black outfits - a black shirt, black cardigan with gray stripes, and black pants. After getting dressed, he wandered over to his iPod dock and and connected his phone. The porcelain-skinned young man concluded that the sounds of Beethoven's piano sonatas would do for this evening's dinner - The sonatas were easy on the ears and, because they lacked lyrics, there was no chance that any emotional verses would cause him to prematurely burst into tears.  _Solid plan._

There was a knock at the door at 7:58.  _Leave it to Blaine to be early._

"Good evening, Dear!" Kurt greeted him cheerfully as he opened the door.

"Hi there." Blaine said with with a smile and handed Kurt the strawberry cheesecake he'd brought over.

"This looks amazing." Kurt sing-songed as he went to deposit the dessert into the fridge.  _What an amazing post-break-up comfort you'll be._

"I know it's your favorite." Blaine commented as he removed his coat and sat down on the couch.

 _At least we still have that._ "Indeed. How was your day?"

"It was great! I think I did well on my exams this morning." Blaine answered. "Gosh, I'm starving, though. Sam and I stopped by a deli for lunch, but we had to leave before our sandwiches were ready. He wouldn't make eye contact with me, he was totally flushed, and he was speaking an unusual amount of Na'vi. I swear, I thought he was gonna vomit."

 _The love-sick puppy act already?_  "I hope he's okay." Kurt deadpanned.

"He'll live. I put him down for a nap when we got home and he's been sleeping like a baby." Blaine informed.

"You put him down for a nap?" Kurt asked with furrowed brows.

"Yeah. You know he has trouble sleeping unless I read him fanfiction." Blaine laughed. "So what divine dish did you cook up?"

 _Sam's head._ "Well, I tried baking one of my famous lasagnas, but somehow ended up with a giant pan of charcoal." Kurt explained. "So I ordered from that hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant with the screaming waitress. It should be here any minute."

"That sounds incredible! I love their-"

"Phanaeng curry."

"Yeah." Blaine said with a smile.

"I ordered you the curry and some extra spring rolls."

"You're the best."

"I know." Kurt said as the doorbell rang. He tipped the annoyed-looking delivery boy and the two enjoyed a silent dinner.

\---

"So how was your day?" Blaine asked he finished his last spoonful of curry.

 _Full of empty calories._ "Relaxing." Kurt answered. "I watched Beaches three times and ate an entire box of waffles."

"Wow." Blaine said with a wide-eyed expression. "No class today?"

"I didn't have any tests today and I've had perfect attendance all semester, so I thought I'd give myself a personal day. I even called in to work." Kurt answered.

"How unlike you!"

Kurt laughed. "I've had a few moments that have been quite unlike me for the past couple of days.

"Oh yeah?" Blaine asked. "Care to elaborate?"

_Here goes nothing._

"But of course," Kurt began, "When I was a kid, I was scared to be myself. Even when I was in Glee, I felt like I just couldn't be me. It wasn't until I met you that I found the courage let my inner-star shine. I'll always be thankful to you for that, Blaine."

Blaine smiled.

"I've learned to value myself, my happiness, and value the lives of those that I care about." Kurt said. "In my mind, Blaine, you'll always be set on a golden pedestal. I only want you know happiness in your life."

"Kurt, I don't know what to say," Blaine said with a starry-eyed expression.

"Because I want us both to be happy, Blaine, we need to be honest with each other." Kurt explained as he stared into his fiance's eyes. "But first, I just need you to know something."

Blaine looked confused as Kurt grabbed his hand.

"I'm sorry." Kurt said. "I'm sorry for neglecting you. I was so caught up with my job and my freedom and my New York life that I didn't give you the attention you needed."

"And I'm sorry for-"

"I know." Kurt interrupted. "I forgave you for that a long time ago. This is me taking responsibility. This is me taking my lot and place."

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked.

"I wasn't there for you." Kurt explained. "You left your friends to follow me to McKinley, and, even though I wasn't physically there for you once I graduated, I could've been there for you emotionally. I know you were lonely, and I know that I'm to blame for that. Thank goodness you had Sam and Tina, but especially Sam."

There was a brief silence and the two gazed at each other.

"From the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry for abandoning you, Blaine. I hope you'll forgive me for that."

"I do." Blaine answered, voice slightly trembling. "And that's the truth. Thank you, Kurt."

"It's  _a_  truth," Kurt commented. "But not the truth that I want to talk about."

"What truth are we talking about?"

Kurt sighed. "I love you," he stated simply.

Blaine looked at him for a moment. "I love you too," he answered.

"I know," Kurt said, "and that's the first time you've told me that in a week and a half."

"Wha-"

"You're not in love with me anymore. You're in love with Sam."

Blaine looked puzzled and frustrated. "Is that what this is about? It was a high school crush, Kurt."

"Stop, please." Kurt said softly. "The truth isn't always easy."

Blaine's face was wrecked with emotions. "What do you want from me? What do I have to do?" he asked.

"Just... close your eyes." Kurt said.

Blaine obliged and, as he did so, a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Just think about this for a second, please, Blaine. Imagine what your life would be like without me. How do you feel?" Kurt asked.

More tears rolled down Blaine's cheeks as he kept his eyes shut tightly. He sighed. "Sad. Very, very sad." He opened his eyes and stared at Kurt.

"Now," Kurt began. "Close them again. This time, imagine your life without Sam."

Blaine looked away, blankly, and closed his honey-colored eyes. His face was wrecked with emotions and his mouth quivered. With a sigh, he opened his eyes and looked at Kurt, or maybe through him. "I can't," he whispered.

_And that was the painful truth._

"That's what I thought." Kurt lamented as he took to his feet and walked to the window.

"Kurt, this is stupid." Blaine said with conviction. "No matter what I feel, Sam can't reciprocate. I know we've spoken about it before, but now you  _really_  understand how lonely I was when we broke up. Sam really helped take me out of a dark place in my life. I needed him, and still do. He helped bring me back to you. You're my soul mate." He was pleading at this point.

That was it.

"Blaine, just STOP with this stupid soul mate BULLSHIT." Kurt shouted as he turned around and stared daggers into his fiance. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. It's just, well, we're young. We have a lot to experience, both with and without each other. As much as I love you, this soul mate nonsense has always rubbed me the wrong way. How can you know? How can... How can I know?! We can't. We don't. What if I don't even believe in that concept in the first place? So many people come in and out of our lives through the years for so many reasons, and sometimes, we lean on some friends more than others. I mean, look at you and Sam. I didn't think you two would ever be friends after that horrible comment you made about not being for sale, and now, you two are in love with each other!"

"What?" Blaine asked, but it was barely audible.

"What did you expect?" Kurt answered with another question. "I spoke to him today, Blaine. The only sick that boy is, is love sick." He said, shaking his head.

Blaine was speechless.

"What you two have - it's special." Kurt whispered. "I don't even think we ever had that."  _Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry._ He willed the tears away and stood his ground. "That's why this soul mate business is just so silly. Who knows if it'll last, but you and Sam - you two."  _Deep breath._ "You two were meant for each other."

There was a brief pause as the two looked anywhere but each other.

"Are you breaking up with me?" was all Blaine could manage.

Kurt thought back to the day that Rachel left for New York. That night, she called him and he tried to console her as she screamed and cried into the phone, repeating the words that Finn said before sending her off.  _I'm setting you free._  This time, he couldn't stop the tears from welling up in his eyes as he looked at Blaine and placed a hand on his shoulder. "No. I'm setting you free."

He removed his engagement ring and handed it to Blaine. "I should have learned my lesson years ago. I've known you have a thing for tall, pretty blondes with colored eyes since we serenaded that poor boy for you at The Gap."

Blaine fumbled the ring around in his hand for a moment, then gave it back to Kurt. "You keep it." He stated softly. "Just so you know, I never meant to hurt you."

"I know." Kurt chuckled as he tucked the ring into his pocket. In his heart, he was hoping for some grand romantic gesture, or for more of a fight from Blaine.  _This is for the best._

"Are we still friends?" Blaine asked cautiously.

"Of course." Kurt responded. "But I need some distance for a while. I don't think I'll be able to look at you without bawling like a baby."

"I understand." Blaine said as he stared at the ceiling. "I'll be there whenever you're ready."

Kurt nodded as he stared out of the window and noticed a figure sitting on one of the benches outside.  _Of course._ "You should probably go." He said gently. "Sam's waiting outside and he looks like a puppy that just ran away from an abusive owner."

Blaine walked over to his ex-fiance and hugged him. "Goodbye, Kurt." he whispered.

"Take care of yourself," Kurt said as he gave Blaine a few gentle pats on the back.

The two shared a look and Blaine walked away and the door closed with a click and he was gone.  _Just. like. that._

Kurt returned to the window in time to see Blaine exiting the building. Sam looked visibly shaken and the two didn't say a word to each other for what seemed like an eternity. Then, they embraced and looked like they were sobbing openly.

Kurt decided to spare himself from the sight of it and went to the kitchen to grab a fork and a slice of pity-cheesecake.

\---

As Kurt plopped down on the sofa with his third piece of cheesecake, Rachel and Santana came flying through the door, yelling at each other.

"Seriously, You didn't have to kick that homeless guy."

"He was trying to get all up on this. I would've taken that ten dollar bill that I gave him back if he didn't smell like shit."

They both stopped and looked at Kurt, who's face was full of cheesecake.

"Rough day?" asked Santana.

"Understatement." Kurt replied. "What're you two doing home so early?"

"My director had to leave rehearsal early." Rachel said. "Some kind of family emergency. Unprofessional. Family and relationships always gets in the way of a career."

"I'm off tonight. Also, calm down the hell down, tyrant." Santana rebuked. "Some people have hearts that aren't frozen solid and locked away because - never-mind."

Rachel just glared at her. "What's wrong with Blaine and Sam?" She asked Kurt. "They're just standing outside, hugging each other and crying. Did that nice old lady that lives next door to them die, or something?"

Santana pursed her lips and gave Kurt a knowing look, remaining silent.

"They're probably about to confess their undying love for each other." Kurt said after shoveling the last bite of cheesecake into his mouth swallowing it in one gulp.

"What?" Rachel asked in a confused tone.

"Fuck!" Santana cursed. "Berry, lend me seventy-five bucks."

"Making more bets with Tina?" Kurt asked, but didn't make eye contact.

"What?!" Rachel asked again, glancing back and forth between Kurt and Santana.

Santana gave him a side-glance and laughed. "She bet me that they'd tell each other before Spring Break. Damnit, why couldn't they have waited for another month?"

"Can someone PLEASE tell me what's going on?" Rachel asked in her 'My name is Rachel Berry and I'm annoyed' tone.

"It's a looooong story." Kurt said as he took the engagement ring from his pocket and stared at it. He just twisted it around for a bit, watching as the light bounced off in different directions.

Rachel crossed her arms and huffed, and Santana sat down on the couch next to Kurt. The three sat in a pregnant silence for a few moments.

"Would you two ladies like to accompany me while I toss this thing into the Hudson River?" Kurt asked.

"Fuck that!" Santana shouted and snatched the ring away from him. "Let's go sell this puppy and get wasted."

"Why has NO ONE told me what's going on yet?!" Rachel was getting increasingly loud and agitated.

Kurt took the ring back from Santana and clutched it near his heart for a bit. More silence. He'd finally processed that it was all over. He reminded himself that this was very much for his emotional well-being, but that didn't make it hurt any less. Blinking back tears, he rose to his feet and walked over to the window. Blaine and Sam were now sitting on the curb, and he assumed they were talking, but wasn't sure because they were facing away from the window. He saw Sam stand up and look at the sky for a bit, then turn to Blaine and hold out his hand. Blaine seemed hesitant, but reached for Sam's hand with both of his as the blonde lifted him up. The two started walking away and, as they gained some distance, Kurt saw Sam reach out for Blaine's hand a few times, but quickly pull away. After several attempts, Blaine seemed to catch on and took Sam's hand in his own. Kurt rapidly blinked away the tears that had formed in his eyes and turned to face Rachel and Santana.

"That sounds like a good idea, Santana. I could go for some hard liquor right about now." Kurt said as he walked to the closet and grabbed his coat.

"Come on, Berry. I'm sure Lady Hummel will tell us all about the big gay soap opera that is his life on the way to the pawn shop." Santana said. "I needs my mixed dranks and I needs them now."

Kurt buttoned up his coat and stood at the door, waiting at the door for the two girls. After the Karofsky incident, Kurt didn't allow himself to get scared, but this was a different situation.

"Kurt! Let's go! I'm going to explode in a rage that would put Cassandra July to shame if SOMEONE doesn't tell me what's going on!" Rachel shouted.

He opened the large door but still didn't step out, even though Santana let out a frustrated groan. This was the rest of his life, and it  _was_  scary. Gone were all of the silly plans of his youth and the day-dreams of growing old with Blaine. This was it.

"Can we GO?" Santana screamed. "Rachel is going to burst into angry song if you don't fill her in soon."

"Give me a minute!" Kurt yelled. "I'm about to take the first step into the rest of my life!"

"Oh my GOD. You are SUCH a queen." Santana retorted. "I didn't realize that relationship defined your entire freakin' life."

Kurt let out a breath and turned around to face the fiery Latina. She was right. "You're such a bitch, but that's why I keep you around."

She just smirked and linked her arm through his, and they stepped out of the apartment together. "Come on, Berry. I'm going to drop-kick you if you stand there making that stupid pouty face for another second."

Rachel huffed and linked her arm through Kurt's free one. "Now start from the beginning before I belt out  _O Mio Babbino Caro,_ Kurt."

"I need at least one Cosmo in my system before we go down that road, Rachel." Kurt said as they walked down the hall.

Santana was right. There was much more to Kurt Hummel than his former role as Blaine's fiance. He was a talented musician, an amazing friend, he had a keen eye for fashion, and he was free.

\---

A/N2: The final chapter will be posted soon. It was originally just a short epilogue attached to the end of this chapter, but, after expanding on it, I felt like it should stand on its own.

Thank you again for comments/reviews.


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, I've done it. I've done what I swore to myself I wouldn't do - I've turned this, the final chapter, into a mini song-fic. The lyrics in bold are from The Blower's Daughter by Damien Rice. It's one of my favorite songs, and it goes well with the chapter. I highly recommend giving it a listen while reading. :)

_**And so it is** _

_**Just like you said it would be** _

_**Life goes easy on me** _

_**Most of the time** _

The first week of October, and it was already freezing. It was just past noon on this particularly gloomy day and the sun hadn't been out yet. Kurt sat outside of NYADA, next to one of the only trees on campus, and snacked on a blueberry muffin while enjoying a caramel cappuccino  from a coffee shop a block or two away. Adjusting his jacket and re-wrapping the scarf he wore around his neck, he looked across the street at the people walking by. This semester was lonely. Was it even possible to be lonely in New York? He certainly thought so, but the many couples and groups of people walking by seemed to suggest otherwise.

_**And so it is** _

_**The shorter story** _

_**No love, no glory** _

_**No hero in her sky** _

Kurt was indeed lonely, though. Rachel had taken the semester off and departed in late June on a tour of the East Coast with her theater company. Funny Girl was a big hit and she sang to sold-out crowds most nights. For the first couple of weeks, she'd made good on her promise of calling or texting Kurt every day, but of course it  _couldn't_  last. As the stories of dinners and nights out with celebrities increased, the volume of contact decreased. Kurt wondered if he would still know her when she returned to New York in December.

_**I can't take my eyes off of you** _

_**I can't take my eyes off you** _

_**I can't take my eyes off of you** _

_**I can't take my eyes off you** _

_**I can't take my eyes off you** _

_**I can't take my eyes...** _

Hearing from Mercedes always a surprise. She didn't look back when she had returned to California in April. Why would she? Her career was taking off - so much so that a couple of songs on her upcoming album would be featuring her new friend, Jordin Sparks. Last time Kurt had spoken to her, she insisted that he fly over for a visit after midterms. He'd agreed, of course, but didn't expect that it would actually happen. It seemed like more like a pity-invite.

Where the hell was Santana, anyway? At first, she'd come bursting into the loft every few days to tell Kurt the most ridiculous stories about the bar that she was bar-tending at and about new commercials that she was making while they binge-watched  _The Facts of Life_. She'd mentioned, one day, that someone from Sephora had contacted her agent after seeing her YEAST-I-STAT commercial and that she was in the process of forming some sort of contract with them. The day after that, however, she came flying through the door at almost 9pm and said something about Britney and MIT and Boston and then she was gone. That was in early August; he hadn't seen her since.

_**And so it is** _

_** Just like you said it should be ** _

_**We'll both forget the breeze** _

_**Most of the time** _

Oddly enough, Kurt and Quinn had become quite close. After the news that the engagement had been called-off spread among their friends, Quinn called him and took him and her wing - they became instant BFF's. Burt and Carol had relocated to help further Burt's political career and Kurt didn't see the point of returning to an empty house in Lima for the summer, so he invited Quinn to stay with him in New York. They'd even made a week-long trip to Florida before school started. Once the semester began, they texted almost every day and Kurt had been able to make a weekend trip to New Haven in August. They were both busy with their studies, though, so it couldn't be a regular thing.

Artie was still in Brooklyn, but he and Kurt were never really close to begin with. The one time that Artie made an attempt to hang out with Kurt, he'd brought a girl that he was seeing along with him and Kurt became the awkward third-wheel.

_**And so it is** _

_**The colder water** _

_**The blower's daughter** _

_**The pupil in denial** _

And so, the apartment was big and quiet and empty. Sometimes, he'd shout "I'm home!" to the empty loft when he walked in through the door and, even though he knew it was empty, there was still an aching disappointment when no one answered. Thank goodness for his job at Vogue. It kept him busy and Isabelle had dinner with him a couple of nights a week after work.

_**I can't take my eyes off of you** _

_**I can't take my eyes off you** _

_**I can't take my eyes off of you** _

_**I can't take my eyes off you** _

_**I can't take my eyes off you** _

_**I can't take my eyes...** _

It wasn't often that Kurt thought of Blaine, these days. Okay, that was a lie, but he was fortunate enough to have only one class with his ex-fiance this semester. The class was lecture that met on Tuesdays and Thursdays in one of NYADA's auditorium-style classrooms, so he could usually blend into a crowd of students and sneak in and out without having to make eye contact or give him a friendly wave.

Blaine and Sam were still together and seemed to be very happy. For the first few weeks, they had completely stayed off of social media; Kurt and the couples' mutual friends had been reluctant to acknowledge their relationship. Then, of course, Tina posted a picture of the three of them at the American Museum of Natural History during Spring Break and everyone seemed to be okay with it.  _With Blam, exploring the Deep Sea exhibit! Sam seems to be among his kind with the big-mouthed fish. - with _ _ **Blaine Anderson**_ _and_ _ **Sam Evans**_ _ **.**_ Everyone from the Glee club except for Kurt and Rachel liked the picture, and the notification that followed the next day -  _Sam Evans is in a relationship with Blaine Anderson._

_**Did I say that I loathe you?** _

_**Did I say that I want to** _

_**Leave it all behind?** _

As Kurt sipped his cappuccino, a tall, handsome figure caught his eye. Sam. He'd seen him on campus a few times, always waiting for Blaine. If they made eye contact, Sam would offer him a weak smile and a wave. Kurt, of course, returned the gestures, but there were no conversations. As accepting as Kurt was of Sam and Blaine's relationship, and as much as he had grown from the whole "letting go" experience, the idea of actually speaking with them still caused a little lump to form in his throat. Considering how little he had in common with the two, any attempts at conversation would surely be full of fumbled words and awkward pauses.

Today, he was lucky; Sam didn't seem to notice him. The blonde sat down on a bench, pulled out his phone, and began tapping away at the screen. Kurt gathered his things and prepared to leave, because Blaine would inevitably show up at any moment.

"Sammy!"

_Too late._

Blaine exited the building and jogged over to Sam, hugging him from behind. A smile brightened the blonde's face and Kurt swore it made him see the sun come out for just the briefest moment.  _Damnit._

After turning around and embracing Blaine, Sam gave him a short, loving peck on the lips and grabbed his bag from him, slinging it over his shoulder. "Shall we?" The blonde asked as he took Blaine's hand in his own and interlaced their fingers.

Blaine nodded and the two walked away hand-in-hand, chatting about something that caused giggles to erupt between them. "Happy" didn't appropriately describe the way they looked.

_**I can't take my mind off of you** _

_**I can't take my mind off you** _

_**I can't take my mind off of you** _

_**I can't take my mind off you** _

_**I can't take my mind off you** _

_**I can't take my mind...** _

"Whoa! When did  _that_  happen?" An all-too familiar male voice asked from behind Kurt.

Kurt turned around and gazed at the young man whom he'd once dated. "Long story," he said as he held up his left hand and wiggled his empty ring finger. "How've you been, Adam?"

"Busy," the young man replied. "I haven't seen you all semester. Where have you been hiding?"

"I've been laying low. This is actually my last semester here." Kurt explained.

"What?" Adam was shocked.

"The world isn't ready for the voice of Kurt Elizabeth Hummel." The brunette elaborated. "There aren't very many parts for someone with my vocal fach, ya know? I'm not trying to burn any bridges or anything, but I have other passions. I'll be working full-time at Vogue and taking classes in Journalism at NYU. I'll be blogging for the Vogue website and Isabelle has hinted  _very_  heavily that I'll be accompanying her and a certain Editor-in-Chief of the magazine to Milan for Fashion Week."

"Editor-in-chief? You mean-"

"Anna. 'Nuclear.' Wintour." Kurt said in a proud staccato tone.

"That's amazing!" Adam commented with a sincere smile on his face.

"Thanks! Anyway, when I'm not in class and not working, I usually lock myself in my apartment and watch re-runs of  _Murder She Wrote_. I've been by myself since Rachel left on tour and Santana pulled another one of her disappearing acts." Kurt explained.

"Pity." Adam said. "I would have invited you out for dinner if I'd known the only person keeping you company recently was Angela Landsbury."

_**My mind** _

Kurt laughed. "Yeah?" He asked as he looked away. Sam and Blaine were barely in sight anymore.

"Yeah." Adam repeated, following Kurt's gaze to the couple as they finally disappeared into a crowd. "Would you have said yes?"

Kurt locked eyes with Adam and the two shared a slight grin for a few moments. "Without a doubt - but it's not like Angela Landsbury is bad company."

_**My mind** _

"So, would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow evening?"

"Yes."

_**'Til I find somebody new.** _

After all, who was Kurt Hummel to stand in the way of what could be true love?

\---

A/N2: To those of you hoping for a happier ending - I do sincerely apologize if I've disappointed you. This fic was more about the journey than the destination, and I'm satisfied with how this played out.

I was absolutely terrified of posting this fic because I didn't know how it would be received, but the amount of support and encouragement it's garnered has been truly heart-warming. Thank you so much letting me share this story with you, dear readers. I have two other mostly-complete Blam fics on my PC that are much more "Blammy" and have far less to do with Kurt, and I feel more confident that I can finish them, now.


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